¶ here begynneth a lytyll treatyse schortely compyled and called ars moriendi / that is to saye the craft for to deye for the helthe of mannes sowle.
WHan ony of lyklyhode shal deye / thenne is moste necessarye to haue a specyall frende / the whiche wyll hertly helpe and praye for hym & therwyth counseyll the syke for the wele of his sowle / & more ouer to see that alle other so do aboute hym / or ellys quyckly for to make hem departe. ¶ Thenne is to be remembred the grete benefeytes of god done for hym vnto that tyme / and specyally of y e passyon of our lorde / and thenne is to be rede somme story of sayntes or the vij psalmes wyth y e letanye or our lady psalter in parte or hole wyth other And euer the ymage of the crucyfyxe is to be hadde in his syght wyth other. And holy water is oftymes to be cast vpon and about hym for auoydyng of euyll spirytes y e whiche then̄e be full redy to take theyr auauntage of the sowle yf they may. ¶ And thenne and euer make hym crye for mercy and grace & for the [Page]helpe of our blessyd Lady & of other sayntes in whome afore he hadde a synguler trust & loue and therupon to make his prayers yf he may. ¶ Whan deth cometh or ony greuous pangys / or other grete sykenes / thenne prayer or deuocion asswageth / wherfore it is wysdome for one to praye afore ony sykenesse come / & also whan one may in his sykenes yf he wyll not be deceyued. ¶ So he is happy & may be glad that suche a tyme of most nede hath a feytfull frende & that wyll say besyde y e prayers a fore rehersed & cause other also to say deuoutly in remembraūce of y e charyte of Ihu cryst & of his passyon & for to haue y e rader his mercy & helpe iij pr̄ nosters & iij auees with a credo And therwith to exhorte him by a prest or for nede by an other in the maner as it foloweth.
BRoder or syster remembre wel that god seyth by his prophete & euāgelyst. Blyssed be tho that deye & departe in our lorde / that is to say from the worlde and his pleasurys and deye in the trewe fayth of the chyrche and repentaunce for hyr synnes. ¶ Syr ye haue [Page]grete cause to be glad for to departe from this wretchyd worlde and fall of alle mysery / and thynke that ye nedes must departe / and desyre hertely to be wyth Ihesu cryst your maker redemer / & lord god / for he shal gyue to you now your enherytaūce that he dyde bye for you with his precyous passyon & blood / wherfore this tyme of your departyng shall be better to you than the tyme of your byrthe / for now all sykenesse sorow and trouble shall departe now from you for euer. Therfore be not agreuyd wyth youre sykenesse and take it not wyth grutchyng but take it rather by all gladnesse ¶ See at all tymes that ye be stabse in your faythe and byleue and say your Credo yf that ye may or ellys desyre a nother hertely to doo it for you here afore vs openly. And arme you euer wyth the sygne of y e crosse ✚ as a crysten man for your defence ageynst youre ghoostly enemyes / in y e whiche doyng / god wyll be gretly pleased & the rather take you for one of his folke by proteccyon and grace & as his chylde of saluacyon. ¶ Haue euer a good & trew byleue / & no thyng may be Impossyble vnto you [Page]And euer beware that ye fall not in dyspeyre for that gretly wolde dysplease god / & can not be remedyed. And remembre y e synnes done a fore tyme shall neuer hurt you as to dampnacyon / yf they please you not now & that ye be sory for hem. ¶ Saynt Ierome seyth / yf one sholde take his sekenesse or his deth with grutchyng / it is a token that he loueth not god suffycyently / alle is ryghtwyse that we suffre. ¶ Desyre with saynt austyn of our lorde here to be cutte wyth trybulacyon & to be brenned wyth sykenes & sorowe / soo y e ye may be saued herafter for euer. ¶ Now meke your self & be sory that ye haue ben so vnkynde to please & to kepe his cōmaundementes & presume not as of your self ony goodnesse / & say wyth all me kenesse thus. Good lord Ihesu cryst I knowleche that I haue synned greuously / & by thy grace I wyll gladly amende me yf I shold lyue / haue mercy now of me for thy bytter passyon.
¶ Than aske hym thyse questyons folowynge a fore his deth.
BE ye glad that ye shal deye in cristen byleue: Lete hym answere / ye / knowe ye y t [Page]ye haue not so well lyued as ye shold / ye / haue ye wyll to amende yf that ye sholde lyue / ye / byleue ye y t Ihesu cryste god sone of heuen was borne of blessyd marye / ye / Byleue ye also that Ihesu cryst deyed vpon y e crosse to bye mannes soule on good fryday / ye / Do ye thanke god therfore / ye / Byleue ye y t ye may not be saued but by his passyon & deth / ye / ¶ As long as y e soule is in your body thanke god for his deth & haue a sure trust by it & his passyon to be saued. And counseyll hym to say yf y t he may thyes folowyng wordes of grete vertue.
YPut crystys passyon betwyx me & myne euyll werkys / & betwyx me & his wrathe Now lorde god be mercyfull to me a synner. ¶ The prase of our lord ihu cryst & y e v (er)tue of his passyon wyth y e sygne of y e holy crosse & y e vndefyled V (er)gynyte of blyssed mary his moder & y e blyssyng of all sayntꝭ / & y e ꝓteccyon of all holy angels wyth y e helpe & p̄yers of al sayntꝭ be betwyxe me & all myn enemyes now & in y e houre of my deth & departyng Amen ¶ Also thyes verse folowyng be of grete vertue in the tyme of deth / & to be sayd of the syke yf he may [Page]or by an other for hym. Dirupisti dn̄e vincula mea. tibi sacrificabo hostiā laudis et nomē dm̄ inuocabo. Deus ꝓpiciꝰ esto michi pccōri Dn̄e ihū xp̄e Ego cognosco me grauiter peccasse. et libenter volo me emendare ꝑ grāz tuā Miserere mei ꝓpt (er) amarā passionē tuā. Dn̄e ihū redemisti nos in sanguine tuo laus sit tibi ꝓ amara passione tua. Largire clarū vespere. quo vita nus (quam) decidat. (sed) p̄miū mortꝭ sacre ꝑennis instet gloria. Also to oure Lady Maria plena grē mater misericordie. tu nos ab hoste ꝓtege. et in hora mortis suscipe. And at last: In manus tuas dn̄e cōmendo spiritū meū. In noīe prīs et filij & spūs sancti amē.
¶ Here foloweth a shorte and swete remembraunce of the sacrament of the aulter or that it be receyued of the seek persone or of ony other afore there comunyng.
WElcome blessyd Ihesu my lord god & sauyour / to whom is apropryed all mercy & pyte. Remembre good lorde how freyll my nature and substaunce is / and haue mercy & pyte on me grete synner / after thy grete mercyes [Page]and for thy bytter passyon / for I knowse che & byleue faythfully as a crysten chylde of thyn / that thou here in fourme of brede / is the same my lord god y e of thy goodnesse come doun from heuen & was borne & toke my nature of blyssed virgyne Mary & dyed for me & rose the thyrde day & after ascended in to heuen and ther̄ reygneth wyth the fader & the holy ghoost & all sayntꝭ for euer īmortall / y e whiche for our grete helth freylte & dayly transgressyon & in remē braunce of thy grete loue & passyon hast ordeyned this thy blessyd body in this wyse to be taken of me & of all other wyllyng to be saued ¶ I knowe well y t I am fer̄ vnworthy to be called thy child or seruaūt for y e grete multytude of my synnes / how be it y u mayst make me rightfull & able y t whiche only of synners hast made grete sayntꝭ of heuen By y t thy grete power & myght graūte me now to take y t mekely ī all fere & wyth waylyng for my synnes & wyth a spirytuall gladnes. Come now good lord in to my herte & clense it of al synne / entre in to my soule and make it hole / and therwyth sanctyfye me wythin & wythout and be my defence [Page]for body & soule rebukyng & puttyng a syde all myn enemyes fer from y e presence of thy power / y t I thenne so defended by y e may haue a free & sure passage to thy kyngdome / where I shall not see y e in this fourme by mystery / but I shall see the face to face where I shall neuer hungre ne thurst / but euer be in ioye with y e & thyne / there to gloryfye the & to worshyppe y e to lawde & to preyse y e world withouten ende am̄. ¶ By thyes folowyng aen̄ venyall synnes taken awaye yf they be done deuoutly.
In takyng holy water holy brede / also by seyeng of the Pater nr̄ / & spirytually for this clause & petycōn. Dimitte nobis debita nrā sicut & nos dimittimꝰ debitoribꝰ nrīs. ¶ And also by knocking of y e brest for onis sinnes & also for seyeng of Deꝰ ꝓpiciꝰ esto in pccōri / & by seyeng of the comyne Confiteor at masse or at other tyme. Also by receyuyng of ony of y e sac̄mente of the chyrche / & specyally of the body of our lord. Also by heryng of masse / & by the syght of the sac̄ment of y e aulter there or ellys where By the blissyng of a bisshop or of a prest at his masse. By ony of the dedes of mercy. by [Page]pardones / by martyrdom / & penaunce / by forgyuenesse to a trespasour / by good ensample gyuyng / or for conuertyng of other to good lyf. by pacyence thankyng in trouble / and by contrycyon for synnes wyth dyspleasure of hem. And for euery good dede dooeng wyth good entent and deuocyon Amen.
¶ The famose doctour Iohan gerson Chaū celler of parys takyng his grounde of holy scrypture and accordyng wyth holy doctours seyth thus.
OVre moost mercyfull fader lorde god / knowyng our freylte & redynesse to all synne / is euer redy duryng this wretchyd & mortall lyf by many & dyuerse wayes to forgyue vs eu (er) our trespace & to graunte & gyue vs his grace / yf so be that trewly we do ordeyne vnto hym thyes iij vertues folowyng / soo that they be sayde & done wyth all the herte deuoutly. The fyrst is that thou shalt say Blessed lord I knowleche that I haue synned greuously ageynst thy goodnesse thus and thus rehersyng thy synnes / & I am dyspleased therwyth by reason of the whiche I do penaunce & [Page]wyll do / for I knowe well that I haue greuyd the mercyfull lord & broken thy commaundementes in the whiche thou onely ought to be worshypped. The seconde / say this. Good lord I haue a good purpose and desyre wyth thy helpe / to be ryght ware herafter that I fall not in to synne / & I entende to flee the occasyons after the possybylyte of my power. The iij. is this. Gracyous lord I haue good wyll to make an hole confessyon of all my synnes / whan place and tyme conuenyent may be had accordyng to thy commaundementes and all holy chyrche. Thyes iij verytees or trewthys who soeuer sayth with his herte vnfeynyngly in what place y t euer he be / he may be sure that he is in the state of grace and saluacyon and that he shall haue euerlastyng lyf though all he had done all the synnes of the world. And yf he decessyd wythout ony other confessyon for lack of a preest as slepyng or sodeyne deth / he sholde be saue suffryng a fore harde payne in purgatorye. Wherfore it is good coūseyll that euery crysten man ones or twyes on the day erly or late or ellys at lest on holy dayes examen [Page]his conscyence / and remembre yf that he may with al his herte vnfeynyngly this say iij trowthis / & yf he can so do / he may be sure that he is in the state of grace / and yf he may not / but is in wyll to synne ageyn / and to haue his delectacion with dede / and wyll not flee the occasyons of mortall synnes / & so drowned in synne wyll not aryse / suche one may be certeyne that the Pope may not assoyle hym. not for thy good it is that suche one vse moche prayer and gyue almesse and to do other good dedes after theyr power / that god the rather may lyghten theyr hertes and the soner torne to goodnesse Amen.
¶ Here foloweth a synguler prayer to be sayde in the fest of the dedycacyon of ony chirche or at ony other tyme.
O Myghtyfull and moost pyteuous lorde god Ihesu Cryste whiche of thy grete goodnesse hath ordeyned alle thynges that ben in heuen and in erthe for the vse and wele of man / to the entente and ende that they shall serue hym / and he the allone. And how be it that in eche place y u ought to be serued and [Page]worshypped / yet it pleaseth the moche more suche seruyce & prayer in a place or chirche that is dedyfyed / enueyled & halowed by a bysshop and his mynystres wyth ympnes / psalmes & letanyes / & other suffragyes wyth theyr mysteryall obseruauntꝭ ordeyned therfore / and for by cause thy precyouse body and blood is ther̄ dayly offred vp vnto thy fader in heuen ī knowleche of thy grete loue & passyon that thou haddest for man. ¶ And yf it pleased the in the olde testament wyth thyn angels nyght & day to be assystent and to here the prayers of thy seruauntes in the temple / where was but the flesshe and blode of vnresonable beestys offred in sacrefyce / moche more we truste that thou wyll vysyte & be assystent to vs nyght & day wyth thyne angels in this thy newe temple and chyrche / where thyne owne body and very blood dayly is offred vp vnto thy fader in heuen / and therwith receyued accordyng to thy desyre and wyll of vs thy seruauntes though synners for our saluacōn & therto here y e prayers of vs & other y t entende to loue worshyp & thanke y e ī y e best maner we can or may [Page]¶ Now then̄e blessyd lord full of all mercy & pyte / that wyll that we calle vpon the & hath promysed to here the prayers of the seruauntes graunte now and at all tymes to vs & to all other of thy superhabundant mercy and grace / that who soeuer come vnto this chyrche or to ony other wyth deuocyon & praye in what caas that euer they be / prosperyte / temptacyon / trouble / or aduersyte / that theyr petycyon behouefull and necessary prayer may be herde / and that the pardone graunted to them may in her soules and bodyes wyth all other thynges apperteynyng vnto them may take effect in euery parte gracyously. ¶ And ouer this graū te vs of thy pyte / pease and accorde in the chyrche & realme / and to our founders / faders and moders / frendes / benefactours / & to all crysten soules / forgyuenes of theyr synnes wyth relesse of theyr paynes & ioye ꝑpetuel. And fynally we desyre of thy boūteuous goodnesse sesonable weder wyth fruytꝭ & to exclude from vs pestylence hungre moreyne & sykenesse & all enemyes ghoostly & bodely & therwyth graūte vs of thy grace good lyf & endelesse blysse. Amen
¶ Here ben the xii degrees of humylyte:
Cast thy syght dounward / & shewe mekenesse bothe in thy herte and body.
Beware of hyghe speche & clamorous / & see y e thy wordes be fewe / well sette / & resonable.
Be not light for to laughe / but vse eu (er) sadnesse
Be stylle & kepe sylence / to nede requyre y t answere must be hadde.
Kepe well y e comyn rule as the holy place hath vsed.
Thynke the most vylest of al other & so ꝓnoū ce thy self.
Knowleche y e vnworthy & not ꝓfitable to ony thyng / & so byleue in dede.
Make oft confessyon of thy synnes / & y t wyth grate contrycyon.
Kepe pacyence in thyn obedyēce / at all thy paynes & trouble:
To al peple be y u sudyett for thy maisters sake
Thyn one wyll forsake it / & loue it ī no wyse And eu (er)
kepe y e frō synne for fere of him a boue
¶ The vii degrees of obedyence.
The fyrst is to do that is cōmaunded of thy souerayne wythout grutchyng.
The seconde is to make none excepcōn / nether of y e tyme nether of y e dede that is to be done.
The iij is to be glad & cherefull in thy herte to [Page]do suche dedes cōmaunded without ony compulsyon settyng a syde all bestly condycyons.
The iiij is to be quycke in suche dede dooeng leuyng all other occupacyons for that tyme or ony maner of excuse.
The fyfte is to do suche thynges wyth all thy myght & power / thynkyng y t thy reward shall be grete.
The vj is to doo hem also wyth all mekenesse bothe in spiryte & gesture.
The vij is to contynue suche obedyēce to y e ende of thy lyf euer folowyng thy mayster Ihesu cryst y t was made obedyent for thy synne vnto deth.
¶ The xii degrees of pacyence.
The xij degrees of pacyence y u mayst beholde her
To euyl don to y e or adu (er)syte make no resistēce
Do not euyl for euyl ne gyue an euyl answer̄
Loue thyn enemy & do good for euyll to hym in recompence.
Grutche not ageynst aduersyte but take it as swete encence.
Accounpt it for best medycyne / & be gladde in thy payne.
Thanke god therfore / & loke for more wyth all benyuolence.
And whan thou hast no grutchyng in thyse thenne mayst thou be fayne.
The xv degrees of charyte.
Thyse make ꝑfyt charyte / aft (er) poules epistyll
Be pacyente contynuell for ony aduersyte
Lyberall to the nedy / and good doo for euyll.
Of other mēnys welfare enuy not ne by heuy
Lete not by thy crokydnesse good werkes to multyplye.
Swell not inwarde by malyce yf thy neyghbour prospere.
Loue to be in low degree & lothe to be hyghe.
To labour for other as thi self do thi vtt (er) deuoir
Be not meuyd for ony cause to vengaūce or to yre.
Thynke none euyll to an other for ony prouocacyon.
Ioy y u not in wyckednesse but sorwe y u rader.
Be glad in trouthe & ryghtwysnesse & hate sy mulacyon.
For suche right bere ad (er)site or oni tribulacōn
To that y e chirche techith y e put ful credulyte.
That god hath ꝓmysed trust it well withou defallacyon.
In hope abydyng his reward and eu (er)lastyng glorie.